300f/4 IS or 400f/5.6

[chrisa]

Which would you choose and why for birding.
I have a 30D and a 1.4X also.

Thanks

[rrdjserv@earthlink.net]

Either will get the job done. You can see some of my photos using the 300mm f/4 with the Canon 1.4x TC. Click on thumbnail for larger size.

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=864360

--Rick

[hollis_f]

I'd go for the 300 f4 with the 1.4x

IQ very similar
AF not too much slower
IS
Can be used at f4 without the TC when stuff's close enough.

[Dave 1942]

Another vote for the 300 f4 with a 1.4X tele. Your camera will still AF with this setup.

Dave

[Gimpy00Wang]

I have the 300/4 IS + 1.4x. Works quite well. I wanted the versatility.

- Chris

[canonloader]

Waiting for the IS to spin up was a killer for me. It takes up to .9 seconds for it to spin up and find focus, by which time, the bird is in the next county. I do have a 300/4, but it is a Non-IS and maybe the sharpest lens I ever owned. It's a tossup between that and my 70/200/4. I have also owned the 400/5.6 and wish I had never gotten rid of it.

[mprice]

I would go with the 400. AF is very fast and you will have more reach which is what you will always find yourself wanting more of. I use my 400 with 1.4x You just have to tape off the last 2 pins for AF to work. With the pins taped the AF is not as fast however.

[DegasGoneDigital]

When I used My 20D the 300 F4 worked better because the IQ at 800+ ISO was not good on the 20D. Now that I have My 40D I can shoot at ISO 1250 and get great results with My 400 5.6. The IS will help in shady areas and overcast days.

[Fiddlefingers]

I use the 300mm f4 IS L as my walkabout lenses (usually with a 1.4 extender attached). I recently bought the 400mm F5.6 L and this (with a 36mm extension tube attached) has taken over from the 300mm f4 IS L in my garden where I'm usually about 6 - 8 feet from the birds. The detail using this combination is truely amazing.

[Natural Images]

I would go with the 400, mainly because for bird photography you are hardly ever going to use less then 400mm, and a 1.4x TC would make it 560mm, rather then 420mm on the 300. A good Canon 400 f/5.6 would beat out a Canon 300 f/4 in terms of focus speed and sharpness, but both are very capable lenses.

I am sure you will not be disappointed with either lens.

[dphillips81]

400 all the way for me. My thinking was if i get the 300, and a 1.4x, then i would be using it with the tc on 99.9% of the time, so i got the 400. It is light weight, focuses faster than i can decide what to focus on and has amazing IQ. A fellow photog friend of my uses the 300 f4 IS and he is very happy with it, but he also is wishing for a 1.4x tc.

[C4Miles]

I've used both and would highly recommend the 400 f5.6L. It is light, has very fast focus and you can always put on the 1.4x for added reach, though you lose AF unless the pins are taped on a 30D.

[Bubble]

this question had been asked MANY..many..many times and the debate is endless. Do a search on this topic and you will see tons of threads like this.

anyhow, 400mm f/5.6 is BETTER than 300 + TC. ;)

[Perry Ge]

For birds? I say 400 5.6 all the way. You need every bit of reach and IQ you can get, and I've never found IS all that useful for the reasons canonloader mentioned already.

[canonloader]

I've had both. Overall, the 300 is better cause of the extra stop, and a little sharper than my 400 was, so I can crop more. But, the 400 is a fine lens and gives 560mm with the 1.4x on a 1D body.

Get both. :lol:

[johnstoy]

OK, so will someone tell us one more time... Which Tamron 1.4x permits the Canon 400mm f/5.6 to auto focus? I know it's the standard basic version of the Tamron 1.4x, but which model is it exactly? Anyone know?

[canonloader]

Not sure about the Tamron, but this Kenko 1.5x (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/389038-REG/Kenko_K15AFDGC_1_5x_DG_AF_Tele_Converter.html) works.

[Perry Ge]

OK, so will someone tell us one more time... Which Tamron 1.4x permits the Canon 400mm f/5.6 to auto focus? I know it's the standard basic version of the Tamron 1.4x, but which model is it exactly? Anyone know?

The Tamron Canon 1D-series :p.

Mitch's suggestion works, as does the taping pin method, but reliability and accuracy really do drop when you're pushing the camera and lens to do something they're not designed to do - not that it's not possible of course!

[Larry Weinman]

I think the 300 is a little short for birds and the focusing slows a little with the 1.4 TC. It does have IS though and that can be helpful in low light. The 400 is extremely sharp but without IS you will be dependent on a monopod or tripod in less then ideal light. Still, I think the 400 is a better choice as 400mm is generally accepted as minimal for birds.

[wayne_eddy]

Interestingly, someone somewhere on the other side of the planet asked the same question last week and I made this gallery (http://members.iinet.net.au/%7Edamask/Wayne/Photo/forum/canon/400mm_samples/) for their consideration. All shot with the 400mm f/5.6 and either the 350D or 40D.

I have read many times that the the 300mm + 1.4x is an excellent combination and a number of associates have them, though I am yet to try the combo myself. I got the 400mm after a lot a research and after 12mo of use I have become very fond of the lens. It's the lens that is on the camera most.

A number of excellent bird photographers write that the 400mm f/5.6 is the bird in flight lens. I agree.

You will be aware that any TC will reduce image quality a bit and reduce AF speed too, however from my observations of postings with the 300 I cannot see how at least the former is affected. The results a stunning.

Good luck with your choice & only too please to help.

[James M]

My 1.4x arrived today and from the initial indoor tests AF is still good on areas with reasonable light, it does slow down a fair bit in darker areas but so far I'm pleased.

Hopefully get some shots in the garden tomorrow.

[johnstoy]

My 1.4x arrived today and from the initial indoor tests AF is still good on areas with reasonable light, it does slow down a fair bit in darker areas but so far I'm pleased.

Hopefully get some shots in the garden tomorrow.


Congrats on your purchase James...

Which brand and model of the 1.4x did you get?

[James M]

Thanks :)

I was going to go with the Kenko but got a good deal on the Canon so went with that.

[johnstoy]

Thanks :)

I was going to go with the Kenko but got a good deal on the Canon so went with that.


James, I'm stunned... You say that the Canon 1.4x actually might work with the 400mm f/5.6? I'm all for that... It's the optics that I feel, would be better staying with Canon, but the AF is such a plus... Thanks for the heads up.

Canonloader's lead of the Kenko is a real well priced alternative, I need to try too... I still think, that if my memory doesn't fail me... years ago someone here swore by the most basic Tamron converter working too.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

[James M]

AF works center point only on a 1D, you'll loose AF on anything else.

[johnstoy]

AF works center point only on a 1D, you'll loose AF on anything else.

Ah... Congrats on the fact that you have the 1D... My 30D won't get AF with the Canon converter...

I'll be trying out the third party converters.

[Fiddlefingers]

I use a Canon 1.4x converter with taped pins on my Canon 400mm f5.6 and it focuses quite well. Even in poor light.
My mind must be going as I forgot that I'd made the same reply earlier in this post :-(

[chrisa]

Thanks to everyone for their advice, I went with the 300 f4 non IS. Just got it the other day. Here's one of my first test shots.
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n147/chrisa62401/05.jpg?t=1234153355

[chrisa]

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n147/chrisa62401/04.jpg?t=1234153496

[wayne_eddy]

lovely first shots,

you made one of the good choices.

a little sharpening and NR will do these images well.

enjoy your new lens - we will!

[canonloader]

Chrisa, you had to have gotten a used one, since they haven't made them for years. Curious where you got one? I have the same lens and love it, it's on my 40D all the time. :)

[chrisa]

Posted on the marketplace that I was looking for one and got several responses.

Chris

[canonloader]

I should have thought of that. I had to go hunt one and found a guy who had two of them, then had to beg him to sell me one. :)

[equetefue]

Birds the 400 all the way without hesitation. Had both lenses and is faster and sharper. You also need the extra reach.

[chrisa]

Threw on the 1.4x to test the 300
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n147/chrisa62401/3001.jpg?t=1234470737

[Roy C]

Here is a shot that says a lot for the detail captured by the 400/5.6 IMO. The first image is the original shot and the second one is a 100% crop with a bit of processing.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267/RoyC_photo/bw3.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267/RoyC_photo/bwit4a.jpg

[equetefue]

excellent sample my friend !